The state will consider allowing Oregon high school graduates to attend community colleges for free.

“If we get this right, I think we can unleash a tremendous amount of motivation within these young people, giving them the motivation to stay in school, to get a certificate, to achieve that additional learning that can make a difference in terms of their economic success,” Gov. John Kitzhaber told the Senate Education and Workforce Development Committee.

Comments

What an idiotic idea brought to you by our favorite Leftist John Kitzhaber. Does he have any evidence a dedicated and committed student cannot finance a community college education with all of the many grants and loans? Giving something for free is a ticket to low commitment and minimal completion levels. If a student invests nothing in his education, he will not be as diligent about attending classes and studying than if it's a freebie.

Better to have loans forgiven upon successful completion of classes than to just hand students a free education which they will not value.

I worked my way through college with a small loan and a scholarship. You can believe since I was paying for the classes I attended them and studied hard.

Mr Kitzhaber seems to be an endless font of recycled and failed ideas.

Any thing "free." whether valuable or invaluable, is perceived by the average individual as worthless. As Guest opines, low commitment and minimal completion is inevitable in the short run if this misguided idea is implemented; the devaluation and cheapening of education, overall, is the long run outcome I foresee.